Sarah Somers
The Pioche Rodeo Grounds came alive for the first time in a long time, as a large crowd watched kids and adults compete in a dirt bike/ATV barrel race on Saturday during the 110th annual Labor Day celebration in Pioche.
With the annual Labor Day celebration on the brink of collapse earlier in the year, the new committee was delighted to see yet another successful event.
Committee chairs Kristina Lloyd and Christy Blood said the 110th annual celebration went off with very few troubles or concerns. The theme, Bringin’ Wild Back, after Pioche’s rich Wild West history, set the overall atmosphere for the weekend. In fact, the committee may do another Wild West theme next year to improve upon it, including adding a Wild West shootout that wasn’t quite ready for this year’s celebration.
Visitors started filling the town early in the week, and by Friday night there wasn’t an available RV space or motel room to speak of. The weekend had all of the traditional events Labor Day in Pioche is famous for, and the committee added a few new ones.
This year a cornhole tournament was added to the itinerary. It received a strong turnout and will likely be on next year’s schedule. A poker run, where participants visited public places to collect their hands of poker cards was also new and well-attended, giving participants an opportunity to visit different Pioche sites.
Nate Adams, owner of Recreation Tires in Pioche, hosted a dirt bike/ATV barrel race. The Pioche rodeo grounds came alive for the first time in a long time, as tail gates were backed up to nearly every foot of the arena perimeter. Adults and youth raced their bikes and quads in the rodeo barrel-racing pattern, and the competitors and spectators had a good time.
Live music performed by the band Headz or Tailz entertained a large, blanket-to-blanket fireworks crowd Sunday evening. The fireworks, provided by Pioche Volunteer Fire Department, were on par with the many years of crowd-pleasing displays by the department.
Food vendors and booths filled the park, and different organizations provided their traditional breakfasts and dinners, all reportedly with good turnouts. 16 softball teams arrived for the softball tournament, which was an exceptionally large turnout. The parades had fewer entries than expected, but attendants were pleased with the quality and workmanship of those that did participate.
Overall, the weekend was considered a hit and the new chairmen and committee were pleased to see traditional events throughout the weekend remain well-liked alongside the addition of new ones. The committee thanked the community for the continuous support and acknowledged the annual Labor Day celebration could never operate without the help of many different people. “Bringin’ Wild Back” was promised, and wild was had during the weekend.
The committee is already thinking about next year. Event updates can be viewed on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pioche-Labor-Day-Celebration.
Courtesy photo
The day and night parades had fewer entries than hoped, but attendants were pleased with the quality and workmanship of those that did participate.
Courtesy photo
Horseshoes were one of many contests and tournaments held over the weekend. Pictured are Doubles Division A winners. From left: Jimmy Myers, Dennis McBride, Marshal Anders and Gary Shifflett.
